Marshall Football Weekly Report: Week Three

The Thundering Herd got off to an interesting start this season against Southern Illinois and last week with the drubbing at the hands of Virginia Tech. So far based on the narrow escape against the Salukis and the Herd's performance to-date, things are not looking up for Snyder and his team.

During the showdown in Blacksburg, Virginia, the Hokies handily controled the game against Marshall holding the Herd to only 252 yards of total offense. Meanwhile the Hokies proved that they are a legitimate top 25 team by hanging over 600 yards on the Herd defence.

Quarterback Brian Anderson went 15-for-31 in the contest for 116 measly yards, while the Herd ground game suffered just as poorly. The return of Darius Marshall had a silver lining, with 109 yards, but there was that little thing of a lost fumble to drag the day down.

With the exception of Brandon Burns, Mario Harvey and a few other select players the Marshall Defense looked just a porous as ever on Saturday. The Hokies lit up Marshall up front amassing 444 yards on the ground on their way to a 52-10 route of the Herd.

Moving forward from the poor performance last week, this week Marshall faces off against yet another team many expect the Herd to defeat. This time around it is the former Mid-American Conference foe, the Falcons of Bowling Green State University.

Bad news for the Herd though; the Falcons are three-point favorites. Oh and then there is that whole thing where Marshall has been getting drubbed in the past by the Falcons. Bowling Green owns the all-time series against Marshall 20-7 and also the last time the teams met in 2004, Bowling Green came out on top 56-35.

Enough with numbers and history though here is the present, Bowling Green is a better team than Marshall, flat out. Don't believe me? Well have some more numbers then.

Last week against Missouri the Falcons managed to hold the lead until late in the fourth quarter against the Big 12 school. Also Willie Geter hit the century mark on the ground tacking on a touchdown for the Falcons. Quarterback Tyler Sheehan was 29-for-46 for 206 yards and added a touchdown through the air.

That of course was all against a Big 12 school, now some would argue that the ACC is on that level as well. Of course those people would be wrong and clinically insane.

Now here's the important part, the match up and unless Marshall figures out a new offense and the Falcons forget they almost upset Mizzou last week, this is going to be ugly. At the final whistle, which will ring out mercifully through Huntington, Herd fans will be longing for the later half of the 90's.

Final score in this match-up; Herd 17, Bowling Green 21.